diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 93de7d9003f..90e396c6869 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ IMPROVEMENTS:
 
 BUG FIXES:
  * consul: Fixed a bug where updating a task to include services would not work [[GH-9707](https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/issues/9707)]
+ * consul/connect: Fixed a bug where absent ingress envoy proxy configuration could panic client [[GH-9669](https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/issues/9669)]
  * template: Fixed multiple issues in template src/dest and artifact dest interpolation [[GH-9671](https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/issues/9671)]
  * template: Fixed a bug where dynamic secrets did not trigger the template `change_mode` after a client restart. [[GH-9636](https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/issues/9636)]
  * server: Fixed a bug where new servers may bootstrap prematurely when configured with `bootstrap_expect = 0`.
diff --git a/command/agent/consul/connect.go b/command/agent/consul/connect.go
index 62049241bcf..1fcf3f568bc 100644
--- a/command/agent/consul/connect.go
+++ b/command/agent/consul/connect.go
@@ -45,29 +45,33 @@ func newConnectGateway(serviceName string, connect *structs.ConsulConnect) *api.
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	proxy := connect.Gateway.Proxy
+	var envoyConfig map[string]interface{}
 
-	envoyConfig := make(map[string]interface{})
+	// Populate the envoy configuration from the gateway.proxy stanza, if
+	// such configuration is provided.
+	if proxy := connect.Gateway.Proxy; proxy != nil {
+		envoyConfig = make(map[string]interface{})
 
-	if len(proxy.EnvoyGatewayBindAddresses) > 0 {
-		envoyConfig["envoy_gateway_bind_addresses"] = proxy.EnvoyGatewayBindAddresses
-	}
+		if len(proxy.EnvoyGatewayBindAddresses) > 0 {
+			envoyConfig["envoy_gateway_bind_addresses"] = proxy.EnvoyGatewayBindAddresses
+		}
 
-	if proxy.EnvoyGatewayNoDefaultBind {
-		envoyConfig["envoy_gateway_no_default_bind"] = true
-	}
+		if proxy.EnvoyGatewayNoDefaultBind {
+			envoyConfig["envoy_gateway_no_default_bind"] = true
+		}
 
-	if proxy.EnvoyGatewayBindTaggedAddresses {
-		envoyConfig["envoy_gateway_bind_tagged_addresses"] = true
-	}
+		if proxy.EnvoyGatewayBindTaggedAddresses {
+			envoyConfig["envoy_gateway_bind_tagged_addresses"] = true
+		}
 
-	if proxy.ConnectTimeout != nil {
-		envoyConfig["connect_timeout_ms"] = proxy.ConnectTimeout.Milliseconds()
-	}
+		if proxy.ConnectTimeout != nil {
+			envoyConfig["connect_timeout_ms"] = proxy.ConnectTimeout.Milliseconds()
+		}
 
-	if len(proxy.Config) > 0 {
-		for k, v := range proxy.Config {
-			envoyConfig[k] = v
+		if len(proxy.Config) > 0 {
+			for k, v := range proxy.Config {
+				envoyConfig[k] = v
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/command/agent/consul/connect_test.go b/command/agent/consul/connect_test.go
index ea1728bda38..e3d08d3e97a 100644
--- a/command/agent/consul/connect_test.go
+++ b/command/agent/consul/connect_test.go
@@ -429,6 +429,17 @@ func TestConnect_newConnectGateway(t *testing.T) {
 		}, result)
 	})
 
+	t.Run("proxy undefined", func(t *testing.T) {
+		result := newConnectGateway("s1", &structs.ConsulConnect{
+			Gateway: &structs.ConsulGateway{
+				Proxy: nil,
+			},
+		})
+		require.Equal(t, &api.AgentServiceConnectProxyConfig{
+			Config: nil,
+		}, result)
+	})
+
 	t.Run("full", func(t *testing.T) {
 		result := newConnectGateway("s1", &structs.ConsulConnect{
 			Gateway: &structs.ConsulGateway{
diff --git a/nomad/structs/services.go b/nomad/structs/services.go
index 9d7d9152c3e..2ca1dd81f2d 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/services.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/services.go
@@ -733,6 +733,7 @@ func (c *ConsulConnect) IsNative() bool {
 	return c != nil && c.Native
 }
 
+// IsGateway checks if the service is a Connect gateway.
 func (c *ConsulConnect) IsGateway() bool {
 	return c != nil && c.Gateway != nil
 }